Mutiny in Murmansk

I will be over in York (U.K.) for the HADSS Symposium in July (see Schedule for HADSS 2024 – The Dupuy Institute) and then heading over to Liverpool. My grandfather was a sailor from Liverpool. I have blogged about him before: Murmansk – The Dupuy Institute

He did end up in Murmansk in 1919. There was a mutiny on his ship the S. S. Nigeria. Below are the ship records describing the mutiny:

 

Crew list is here:

The discussion of activities on the ship leading up to the mutiny:

Note that three men refused to load coal. They did not consider it their work but would perform this work if paid one shilling per ton.

Note that the deck hands refused to discharge fifty empty coal bags to S. S. Competitor. They also used “threatening language.” “We are on deck but it is damned little we intend doing.”

And then: “Sailors & firemen, combined not to allow the Competitors crew to bunker S. S. Nigeria, thereby endangering the frozen meat supply for the whole of the Northern Russian Forces at Murmansk.”

And finally:

“An armed guard from HMS Glory arrive on board and arrested mutinous crew and took them away.”

Events after the mutiny:

It notes that “On going into Sailors and firemens forcastles we found a quantity of stones which were apparently pilfered from the British and American storerooms in the Nigeria. Also a sum of Russian money (3728 Rubles)”

Nine members of the crew “has this day been convicted and sentenced to various periods of imprisonment for continuing to refuse duty. One crew was “discharged fron the ship and pay a share of the expenses of the court. Three crew were to “pay share of expenese of the court and return to ship.”

Ten crew “has been payed off Articles. Wages deposited with H.B.M. Consul.”

“This day E. J Fox was drunk and was totaly incapable of performing his duties and using insolent language to the other ship’s officers and master…and will proceed to the U.K at his own expense. Wages in full have been handed to him in presence of H.B.M Consul.”

Anyhow, for better or worse, this is one of our family “war story” (from the Russian Civil War 1917-1923).

There were 34 men listed on the ship. Of those, 11 they “declined to report” on their “general conduct.” The other 23 men were rated “V.G.,” including my grandfather. One other man was discharged for medical reason. So, I am guessing that the S.S. Nigeria lost over 1/3rd of its crew during the voyage.